Learning How To Fight
by maddieclaybourne
Summary: Violet told Pete she wanted to learn how to be happy. Now that she's on Addison's doorstep, he's telling her she needs to learn how to fight.


_Author's Note: I am in love with Pete and Violet from Private Practice and with Amy Brenneman's return in this week's episode, I just had to write something._

_This is how I want Violet and Pete's first interaction since she ran away to Costa Rica to go. This starts off at the end of the next episode, "Eyes Wide Open," when Violet shows up at Addison's house._

_BTW this is also my first Private Practice fic so be constructive with your criticism not evil, LOL._

Completely stunned seem to be the only appropriate words to describe how Pete Wilder is feeling in this moment. Standing outside Addison's door is Violet Turner, the mother of his son also known as the woman who he hasn't seen or heard from in months.

She's also the woman who slept with Addison's father, The Captain. And she's also the woman who ran off to Costa Rica without so much as a word.

His body can't help but stiffen and his jaw sets. He can feel it clenching as he tries to stop himself from gritting his teeth.

It's hard to ignore how put together she looks...Light caramel hair straight and flowing to her shoulders, nicely pressed black suit whose jacket hugs the slight curves of her upper body perfectly.

Her lovely face is fresh and natural...The brightness of her skin obviously coming from the warm sun, but it's her eyes that really catch his attention.

Their blue gray tone is warm and lucid, not storming and harried...Fear and panic aren't swimming amongst the almond shaped orbs, but he can see the hesitation inside.

Her name tumbles off his lips breathlessly, "Violet," just as Addison comes walking into the foyer with Lucas perched on her hip.

The sight of the beautiful red head holding her son obviously catch's Violet's attention, as she reacts like someone snapping out of a trance. Her eyes are wide and an obviously fake smile overtakes the nude coloring of her petal lips as she nods her head. "Isn't this nice?"

Pete doesn't have to look at Addison to know she's stiffening and that her guard is up. He knows her pretty brow is furrowing, her aqua eyes are growing dark as they narrow and her ruby red lips are pursed while she brings Lucas closer to her.

Before things can get any more tension filled, he turns away from Violet and takes the few steps that bring him to Addison. He leans in close, his lips just barely touching her cheek, "You knew this was going to happen. Violet wasn't going to stay away forever. Go to Sam's and take Lucas with you."

"Are you..."

"Take Lucas and go to Sam's, Addison."

The pretty red head looks flustered and confused, her aqua eyes studying him with the right amount of skepticism and circumspection. It's the look she's given him more than once since they've known each other and more than a few times, it's turned him on, but right now being turned on is the furthest thing from his mind.

"If you're sure." She mutters under her breath, poised to turn on her heel.

And just as she makes her move, she turns back around. The look she's giving him now is the challenging one. The one that's also turned him on. "You can't kick me out of my own house, you know."

He can't stop the smile from forming across his lips. He wants to but he can't. He knows she's right, he _can't_ kick her out of her own house, but he has to.

She can't be here while he has to deal with Violet. Having her and Lucas go to Sam's is easier and while she's still on the "I can love you" kick, he knows that's just something she's telling herself so she's still confident about being Naomi's BFF. He knows Sam is what she really wants, but this – being Lucas' stand in Mom, helping him through this, the occasional hot sex – it's all easier and complicated has never worked for her, so she's holding onto easy.

Shaking his head, he tells her with his signature cocky grin. "I am kicking you out of your own house. Now do you want to go on your own? Or do you want me to drag you next door? Cause I can and I will."

Huffing in annoyance, Addison shoots him a glare before stomping into the living room where she grabs Lucas' diaper bag and a few of his toys. He's rewarded with another glare before she disappears out into the night with his son in her arms.

But when he's face to face with Violet – alone – Pete thinks maybe it would have been better if Addison had stayed because he doesn't know if he should scream at her till he's blue in the face or grab her and kiss her as hard as he can.

And that feeling...The feeling of wanting to grab her and kiss her as hard as he can, takes him back to the day in her office when she was still pregnant and he told her he loved her.

* * *

_Shutting the door to Violet's office, Pete sees that she's on her couch with a bowl of leafy greens, that Cooper no doubt put her up to eating, so he just starts talking._

"_I'm not the kind of guy who fights," He tells her. "I just don't see the point to it."_

_Walking around her office, he shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. "And the times I've tried, you hurt your knuckles, you don't really feel better, it doesn't really solve anything and I guess at heart I'm just a pacifist cause I think fighting is stupid and I think war is wrong."_

_He scoffs and his handsome features reflect disgust briefly before he continues. "And taking up arms for some cause just lacks nobility in today's world..."_

_From her perch on her lumpy couch, she tries to interrupt him. "Pete..."_

_But he doesn't give her the chance. His voice is louder than he intends, but he hopes she understands the importance of what he's saying. "I'm not the kind of guy who fights, but I should have fought for you!"_

* * *

Those words are ringing in his head now as they stand across from each other. Her on the outside and him on the inside...And the irony isn't lost on him, which is why he lets out a bitter laugh.

After the police found Lucas with Katie, the patient who cut him out of Violet's stomach and left her on the floor of her house to die, he's the one who's been on the outside...Not understanding why she couldn't hold their son, why she would hide in the closet just from the ringing of the doorbell...Why she did anything.

And now she's on the outside. The outside of everything. And if he were a vengeful person, he would be relishing in this...The tables being turned, her being out of the loop...But he wasn't.

He wasn't even the angry person she always called him out for being when they first met and when they first hooked up. He was different...Calmer, more patient...He was a father and what he wanted most was for his son to be happy, but most importantly he wanted his son to _know_ his mother.

His jaw is clenched again just like he has to keep from gritting his teeth and he's reminded of that day inside her office again.

* * *

_Her uniquely colored blue/gray eyes are wide, her lovely features going from a little confused to stunned as she takes in his stance._

_He takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself. Swallowing, he lets his features soften and his tone is softer, but still urgent. "I should have fought for you, Violet. And I don't know how really else to say it except, I want your kid, whether it's mine or not."_

_Her features are warmer, her eyes growing big like they do when she asks him or Sheldon to let her eat something bad, that Cooper won't. But she doesn't say anything, so he continues._

"_And I want your body whether it's pregnant or not. And I want your heart whether I have to fight for it or not and I should have fought for it, but I was confused and...angry...and scared. And so, I am fighting now because I love you."_

* * *

Those three little words... _I love you_ … are ringing around in his head. But they're soon replaced by the words he said next. _And I think we can be something. I think we can be a family._

Staring at her now...All put together and normal looking, it's hard to see the woman who was wearing old sweat shirts, pajama pants and hair tied in a frazzled ponytail, that he saw nearly every day for months. It's hard to imagine he's looking at the same woman.

Because right now he sees the woman he told all of those things to. The woman whose heart he said he'd fight for, the woman who he said I love you to. And the woman who said I love you back...Sure, it was a few months later, but she still said it.

And although they have more important things to talk about, there are more pressing questions that need answers, Pete can't stop himself from asking. "Do you still love me? Or did you stop somewhere along the way? Like while you were sleeping with The Captain?"

The nasty remark, the dig is out before he has a chance to censor himself and he notices she has the decency to at least look ashamed...Much more so than she did after he and Addison found out.

Her blue gray eyes glisten with tears, her shoulders sink and he can see her body beginning to shake.

He shouldn't feel any guilt when it comes to her. She should be feeling all the guilt, every last ounce of it, but seeing her like this – the put together, normal image crumbling, makes him feel guilty. And what bothers him most is, he's sure he's not just feeling guilty because she's Lucas' mother.

He's feeling guilty because she's Violet. The annoying shrink across the hall, the woman who wouldn't stop telling him what angry person he was after Anna died, the person who knew the "deep down in your soul" lonely he was dealing with, the woman with the fabulous ass that he couldn't stop touching, the woman who gave him his son.

"I'm sorry!" She screams through her tears. "I'm sorry! For everything! It's all my fault...Everything! There, I said it! Are you happy now, Pete? I said what you want to hear that everything is all screwed up and it's because of me!"

Only part of her rant registers with him..._I said what you want to hear_...And that brings him back to another moment between them. The last happy one they shared before everything changed...Before their son was cut out of her stomach.

* * *

_Walking into his office, Violet takes a look around and is considering bolting, when she sees Pete coming into view._

_Knowing it's too late now, that he won't just let her leave, she sighs. "Maybe you and Sheldon are right, maybe I just don't know how to be happy."_

_Pete shakes his head and puts down the jar of herbs he was holding. "Violet..."_

_Pretending like he never said anything, she just keeps talking. "For the longest time, I've been at baseline...You know alive, heart beating, breathing...Happy just seemed really far away and that was the best I could do."_

_Shrugging her shoulders, she starts to struggle. Her features start contorting, tears fill her blue gray eyes and her voice is caught inside her throat. "But- but...I"m having a baby, Pete," She manages, sobs creeping in. "I am making a person, which is a really optimistic thing to do. I mean that is really happy, which scares me a lot._

_She puts an emphasis on the word happy as he really starts listening to her. "But the point is...The- the point is..."_

"_Violet...."_

"_And maybe I don't know how be happy, but I want to learn. I want to be happy, Pete." She sobs, her voice cracking as a smile crosses her face. "And y-you...You so often make me happy."_

* * *

The sound of Violet's hysterical tears bring Pete back to reality. He can see her wavering on her feet, her legs swaying underneath her and just before she can fall into a heap, he grabs her and pulls her against him.

As hard as it was to ignore the way she looked when he saw her, it's even _harder_ to ignore the way she feels. He remembers how she used to call him "Sleeps With Everything Pete," but what she doesn't know, is none of the other women had a body that captivated him or had a body he wanted so badly as hers.

He hates that he's thinking about that now...Her body ….And how much he wants it – not wanted it in the past tense – but _wants_ it in the present tense, but he can't stop himself. She's still soft and firm in all the right places, she still molds perfectly against him, her skin still smells like vanilla and her hair still smells like the flower she was named after.

And it's all a little too much for him to take. So once he gets her back on her feet, he pulls away and steps back, creating a considerable amount of distance between them...Leaving her on the outside while he's on the inside.

She swipes at her eyes and mumbles a pitiful, "I'm sorry."

And with her lips trembling and her warm skin streaked with tears, he's back inside her office again with her rambling about how she's willing to be fought for.

* * *

"_So...So I know that I said no, but if you were still willing to fight for me," With every word that falls from her lips he's moving closer. "Then I am willing to be fought for. Except it really wouldn't be much of a fight because you'd win. You w-would j-..."_

_He cuts her off with a shake of his head and a husky demand. "Be quiet."_

_And then his lips are on hers and they're kissing. The kiss is hard, full of passion but it's gentle as well, his tongue sweeping slowly inside her mouth while her hands come to rest on his shoulders and at the same time they both pull away._

_A heavy sigh falls from her lips. "I have to give Sheldon an answer," She mumbles. "I don't want to have any secrets anymore. And then I think I'm just going to go home and sleep because I haven't been getting any sleep..."_

_His hands are on her cheeks, making her feel warm and he's smiling that cute little smile while his voice is slightly playful. "What did I say about being quiet?"_

_And that's all it takes for them to start kissing again. This time it's a series of kisses, there's stopping and starting and that gives her the chance to say what she came into his office to say all along._

_And in the rush of a breath is she says, her voice full of excitement. "Oh! I forgot to tell you I love you."_

* * *

He knows what she'll do when he tells her what he's about to. She'll go all shrink on him, tell him he's angry with her, that he isn't telling her how he feels, that they still have so much to talk about, but he doesn't care.

He needs this answer more than he needs the answers to any other question right now.

"You told me, that night in my office, when you said you loved me that you wanted to learn how to be happy. Now I want you to tell me you want to learn how to fight. Because you're the one who has to do the fighting this time, Violet. I told you I would fight for you and for your heart, but now it's your turn."

Her lips are trembling and she blinks, clearly not expecting that to be what he was going to say.

Cupping her cheek in his palm, he strokes her soft skin with his thumb. "The ball's in your court, as the cliché goes. Lucas and I need you to fight for us. So start learning how. Whether you're the kind that fights or not."

"What about Addison?" She asks softly. "Is she the person I'm fighting? Like you were fighting Sheldon?"

"Right now Addison is fighting herself. She doesn't have time to fight you. And you don't have time to fight her. You have to focus on fighting for me and Lucas...For our chance at being a family."

"I seem to remember you saying that we could also be "something." Is "something" now off the table?"

Wanting to cut the tension and wanting to feel somewhat normal around her, Pete lets a smile bloom across his lips. He winks and says, "As long as you still have that ass that's ten years younger than the rest of you, "something" will always be on the table, Violet."

She's laughing and her eyes are bright. Her cheeks are flushed and she punches his shoulder telling him, "Shut up."

Her laughter stops, her eyes become more subdue and her lovely features grow serious. "I wasn't ready to fight before...I didn't know how to fight...What I was supposed to be fighting, what I was fighting for but I do now. I'm fighting for my son...And you. I'm fighting for you, too, Pete."

She takes a deep breath, steadying herself and her blue gray eyes are locked with his chocolate brown. "And whether you want to be fought for or not, I'm going to fight. It'll be a learning process but I know now, it's what I have to do."

"Just let me in, Violet.' He whispers, resuming his stroking of her cheek. "Let me in on this learning process. Don't keep me in the dark this time...On the outside, wondering and anxious about what you're thinking, what you're feeling. Let me in."

"That's step one," She murmured. "For both of us. Letting each other in again. So I assume that means all the late night talks on my office's lumpy couch that both of us can handle, right?"

"Consider the learning process starting tomorrow then."

"I'll pencil you in."

"Good."

There's an awkwardness that overtakes them. Neither is sure what to do next, but just like when Pete said I love you first, he makes the first move to eliminate the awkwardness. He reaches for her hand and tugs her toward him.

Violet makes the second move, her arms winding around his waist. Breathing in his familiar scent of sandalwood and pine, she brings her lips up to his ear and murmurs, "Let me make the first move next time."

And that's when Pete knows she's learning how to fight.

_End Note: The dialogue in the flashbacks does not belong to me. It belongs to Shonda Rhimes and everyone else who is affiliated with Private Practice._

_BTW, if you liked this fic, tell me what other kinds of Violet/Pete fics you'd like to see whether they're angsty, fluffy or smutty, I'll see what the Muse who I call Scarlett can do ;D_


End file.
